Oracle and OpenAI drop Texas data center expansion plan, Bloomberg News reports
Oracle and OpenAI have scrapped plans for a major data center expansion in Abilene, Texas, citing local opposition over water and power usage. The facility was intended to bolster OpenAI's AI compute capacity but faced regulatory and community resistance amid Texas' ongoing grid strains. This pullback underscores the physical limits curbing hyperscaler growth in resource-scarce regions.
Channel News Asia • Mar 7
CORPORATE INFRASTRUCTURE ENVIRONMENT
Sources: Oracle plans thousands of job cuts as soon as this month as part of its moves to handle a cash crunch from a massive AI data center expansion effort
Oracle Corp. plans thousands of job cuts starting this month to counter a cash crunch fueled by its rapid AI data center expansion. Surging capital expenditures for compute infrastructure are forcing aggressive cost reductions, including workforce reductions. This episode highlights the physical footprint and financial pressures of AI's infrastructure demands on corporate structures.
Bloomberg • Mar 6
CORPORATE LABOR AI
New York’s housing crisis won’t be solved by one mega-project
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposes building 12,000 affordable housing units on a platform over the 180-acre Sunnyside Yard freight railyard to combat the city's housing shortage. The plan, a revival of a prior stalled initiative, is viewed as a long shot requiring federal support from President Trump amid entrenched market barriers. Critics highlight that isolated mega-projects fail to counter systemic drivers like corporate land acquisition and algorithmic pricing.
HousingWire • Mar 5
CORPORATE INEQUALITY SPRAWL
Oxa secures $103M Series D first close to scale autonomous vehicles for industrial logistics
Oxford-based Oxa raised $103 million in the first close of its Series D funding to expand deployment of autonomous vehicle software for industrial logistics. Investors include a $50 million commitment from the UK National Wealth Fund, NVentures (NVIDIA's venture arm), IP Group, Hostplus, and bp Ventures. This capital accelerates driverless operations in warehouses and freight hubs, automating physical goods movement at scale.
The Next Web • Mar 4
CORPORATE AUTOMATION ROBOTICS
‘Big energy users’: how will datacentres affect Australia’s power prices, water supply and emissions?
Australia hosts 260 operational data centres concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, with energy consumption from AI facilities projected to exceed national electric vehicle fleet usage by 2030 and approach the annual consumption of four aluminium smelters by 2035. Cooling requirements drive demand for both electricity and potable water, with industry projections showing data centre expansion will slow power sector emissions reductions after 2035 despite closed-loop cooling alternatives. Tech companies are pressuring governments to accept ratepayer protections while maintaining access to grid infrastructure built for public benefit.
The Guardian • Mar 1
CORPORATE INFRASTRUCTURE ENVIRONMENT
Could a huge data centre revitalise Ayrshire - or ruin it?
A 540MW data center proposal near Kilmarnock has sparked debate over water consumption and community benefit. The facility would require millions of liters of water daily for cooling, potentially straining local resources while developers pledge community investments including walkways and water taxis.
BBC • Mar 1
CORPORATE INFRASTRUCTURE ENVIRONMENT